Wrestling is a sport that demands both mental and physical strength when going into a match. It’s a sport where success is determined by individual triumphs rather than team victories.
I interviewed Anthony Vasquez, a wrestler at SUNY Oswego, and when asked what wrestling is, he defined it as a way of life because it teaches you life lessons that will help you in the real world. With a sport that requires a high level of physical strength in order to win against your opponent, it also requires you to have a high level of mental resilience. Anthony says that, “You can be the strongest person in the world and still lose to someone weaker if your mind isn’t in the right place.” That’s because if your head isn’t in it, you might slip up and lose the match. This also applies in the real world because losing focus and stumbling can cost you money, relationships, or life opportunities.
Anthony began wrestling when he was in middle school after seeing a poster above a water fountain. He decided that since his father was a wrestler, he could follow in his footsteps and try out. He took it upon himself in the eighth grade to join the wrestling team and has been doing so ever since.
Wrestling is a sport that involves two people going head to head. That means that teamwork is different because it occurs in the practice room rather than on the mat. According to Anthony, the team works together in the practice room and pushes each other to their limits. It’s similar to a family in many ways, but during a match, the full weight of how someone performs is on one individual. In terms of following in his father’s footsteps, Anthony would absolutely introduce wrestling to his future children.
If Anthony’s story has inspired you, or if you have any questions, you contact him by email at avasque3@oswego.edu